Gandhiji's Teachings

Gandhi Jayanti, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, is celebrated as the International Day of Non-Violence by the UN. Such was the impact of the father of our nation!Incidents from Gandhijiâ€™s life and his staunch principles of truth and non-violence serve as a great way of inculcating values in our children. Mahatma Gandhi is arguably, one of the most influential persons of the 20th century. Albert

Gandhi Jayanti, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, is
celebrated as the International Day of Non-Violence by the UN. Such was the
impact of the father of our nation!

Incidents from Gandhijiâ€™s life and his staunch principles
of truth and non-violence serve as a great way of inculcating values in our
children.

Mahatma
Gandhi is arguably, one of the most influential persons of the 20th century.
Albert Einstein, very aptly put it, when he said: "Generations will scarce
believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this
earth." He was not just a political leader, but a social reformer and a
spiritual teacher, too.

Incidents from the Mahatma's life and his well-documented experiments with
truth serve as a great way of inculcating values in our children. He stressed
that one should always live one's philosophies, beliefs and faith, and he was a
prime example of that.

Honesty is the best policy

In primary school, once during a school inspection, Gandhiji had spelt the
word, 'kettle' wrong. When his teacher urged him to copy from others and
correct the spelling, he refused as he was convinced that it was not the right
thing to do. Honesty and truthfulness were qualities he came to embody throughout
his lifetime.

In the modern world, we strive to make our children excel in academics,
sports and the ways of life, but we must also pay great attention to these
character-building attributes, which may seem a little old-fashioned.

Clothes do not a man make

When Gandhiji set out to England to study law, he had a brush with the
sophisticated lifestyle of the British. In his pursuit of being an 'English
gentleman' he tried dressing up like one. He busted money on fashionable
clothes and even a chimney-pot hat in a desperate attempt to belong. He took
lessons in dancing and elocution, but these infatuations lasted for a while
before common sense dawned. Gandhiji realized that character, and not clothes,
made a man.

Much later, his thoughts about dressing took him further in quite the opposite
direction and he started dressing in loincloth to empathise with the poorest of
the poor. In that, he used the symbolism of dressing as a conscious tool to
shape public opinion.

It would be far-fetched to expect that we emulate him, but it would be
worthwhile to interpret his experiences and experiments in clothing, in spirit.
Teenagers today spend unnecessary time and money on the latest fashion and fads
to the detriment of other things. They should be discouraged from such wasteful
expenditure and preoccupation.

Ahimsa and Satyagraha

Gandhiji built his life's mission on the two pillars of non-violence and truth.
He said: "I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and non-violence
are as old as the hills." His interpretation of non-violence was not
limited to abstaining from physical violence; he maintained that faith without
action and suffering injustice were forms of violence.

In a society that is getting more strife-torn and ghettoized, we cannot
underscore enough these age-old qualities and must seek to inculcate the same
in our children.

Work for the larger good

Gandhiji propounded the teachings of the Bhagvad Gita, emphasizing, "work
without the expectation of fruits of the labour done". Through the symbols
of charkha, the spinning wheel and khadi, the hand-spun fabric,
he stressed the message of physical labour. The spinning symbolized harnessing
of every idle minute for common productive work. Gandhiji always maintained
that one should look beyond one's personal aspirations and needs and work for
the common good of society at large.

We must ensure that in the pursuit of name, fame and money, our children do
not lose sight of the larger purpose in life. We must teach them to be socially
responsible individuals who give back to the society what they gain.

Religious co-existence

Gandhiji was a votary of multi-religious identity. He said: "Even as a
tree has a single trunk but many branches and leaves, there is one religion -
human religion- but any number of faiths." He maintained: "The
essence of all religions is one, only their approaches are different."

Though he drew inspiration from the Bhagvad Gita and was a true Hindu by
action, he always remained open to influences from all religions and culture.
He said: "I want the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as
freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any."

Again, in an age where hate politics and 'us and them' sentiments ride high,
Gandhiji's teachings which he practiced diligently stand in good stead for the
young generation.

As relevant as ever

Gandhiji's teachings are as relevant today as ever. Every growing child should
be acquainted with his life and times, his struggles to shape himself and his
politics that so changed the way the world looks at things. For, as he
maintained, his life is indeed his message.

What motivates you the most about the
life of Gandhiji? Which of Mahatma Gandhiâ€™s principles seem the most relevant
in todayâ€™s world? How can we inculcate Mahatma Gandhiâ€™s principles in our
children? Discuss here.

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This wonderful spiritual gentleman was a great influence on many people from many areas of the world. Dr. Martin Luther King used Gandhiji's peaceful resistance methods to free the Black Americans from extreme prejudice.

truly a remarkable and dignified man ever walked on earth. he's a great inspiriation to me and to all. one must appreciate and value his ability to bring peace in humanity.
"you are still remembered in our heart as our greatest hero of all time mr. gandhiji."

gandhiji said ,"one must be the change that one wishes ti see in the world."
mk gandhi was a man of action . he not only said great things but also practised what he preached.
hats off to u gandhiji............